Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Not many animated films can yield so many ideas so effortlessly: independence, melancholy, happiness, simplicity, dissatisfaction, and love. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is hand-drawn in the finest sense; you can pretty much make an exquisite painting out of any frame in the film! Everything feels as delicate and precious as the title character herself. It sounds silly to suggest for a film so simplistically drawn, but it’s really worth getting on Blu-Ray. It’s the type of film that deserves the best output as possible. As of this writing, it remains to be seen what’s included as extras, but getting the movie itself is rewarding enough. None of The Tale of the Princess Kaguya really pampers you on any level, and it certainly requires your sense of wonder to match its very own. Film enthusiasts will adore The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, while regular moviegoers may initially struggle with both the animation and pace of the plot. Like the recent The Wind Rises, this movie isn't concerned with needing to explain everything to you. Right from the unique visual style, it seems to already know it's different to begin with. Nonetheless, this is an excellent film for older children and beyond. This movie is adapted from an old Japanese folktale, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. Those familiar with the original story won't find any huge deviations from the film, and probably the most notable difference is the smaller role that the Emperor plays (there are others that can't be written without spoiling a key plot element). Here's the general premise: A bamboo cutter and his wife stumble upon a girl the size of their palms. As she grows quickly to normal size within the village and the couple takes on the role of parents, they all eventually move to a mansion in the capital when the bamboo cutter finds heaps of gold, a sign he interprets that the girl is of royalty and must be raised as such. Hence, she becomes Princess Kaguya, and is taught to adapt to her new lifestyle, which she struggles with throughout the movie. It eventually turns into a trigger for her sadness that the film wonderfully captures without resorting to cliches or cluttered dialogue. This is a big reason why the film feels like such a classic even before the closing credits roll, as it has the smart storytelling frankness to match its one-of-a-kind animation. There are plenty of adorable and funny moments to complement its more serious ones. It also has all the subtleties characteristic of a Studio Ghibli film, whether it is the growing sound of a little baby as Kaguya twirls under a cherry blossom tree in one moment, or the very meaningful tears in her eyes in another moment. If there’s one minor complaint, the twist towards the last act is rather abrupt and requires the audience to shift their attention to some extent. Bear in mind that this crucial moment is also part of the original folktale, so this is not to fault the source material but its placement in the movie. The main problem is how awkward it feels for a change in the story that the film only gave very minor hints to build up. Then again, that's why it's a twist, and like those from many past film classics, you'll either love it or hate it. Moreover, this does nothing to ruin the overall experience. In fact, it only gives way for even more beautiful animation! For all its hand-drawn artwork and narrative that feels out of place in the 21st century, it strips away all of those contemporary tropes seen in today’s films, and what’s left is something unexpectedly organic and accessible to the audience. Teenagers will relate to Kaguya’s complex emotions, while parents will sympathize with the bamboo cutter’s actions, understanding that he has only the best intentions for the princess. All of the emotions that The Tale of the Princess Kaguya perfects are actually unsurprising given the resume of its director, Isao Takahata. His work in anime spans across six different decades, and includes directing Grave of the Fireflies and the underrated Only Yesterday. Takahata’s focus on fragile expressions gives his works lasting impact, and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, definitely a film that history will place as a classic in due time, is no exception.